Hisoka and I
by Ria D'Arcy
Summary: Slight AU: Hisoka has finally found someone who not only isn't running from him screaming, but even admires his mind set. Rika-chan is currently living with the jester, and enjoying every moment of it. Most days she's just going with the flow and these are some of her stories. Mini plot arcs. Monthly updates.
1. Sunday Brunch Prt 1

***I do not claim ownership of any characters except for Rika-chan***

* * *

My arms stretched above my head as I arched my back in a cat-like gesture. My head burrowed deeper into my pillow and I smiled. My bed was always so cozy and warm in the morning, I would never leave it if I had the choice.

_Too bad I didn't have the choice_, I thought as I felt a hand leisurely tracing my spine. I kept my eyes closed and leaned into the person who was beside me. Now if only he would scratch behind my ears…

A low purr vibrated up from my throat as he began to scratch the perfect spot. His low chuckle at my actions reflexively had my eyes opening the slimiest degree. I looked up to see the brilliant red hair I loved mused from sleep. I watched with my hooded gaze as he ran a long-fingered hand through it, spiking it back with a few strands still falling over his face. I licked my lips as his face broke into a satisfactory smirk, causing his yellow eyes to glow.

My eyes continued to travel down the curve of his throat to his broad chest. I lazily reached out a hand to stroke the outline of his shoulders, down his arm and to the hand which still rested just behind my ear.

Another low rumble came from his throat as I shut my eyes again.

"Rika~chan, it's time to wake up~"

"But I don't _want_ to!" I whined as Hisoka removed his hand, getting out of bed.

"Rika~chan…"

I opened my eyes to see Hisoka right beside my face. He leaned his forehead against mine, running a hand through my hair.

"Hmmm…" I hummed, pressing my lips to his in a good morning kiss. I wrapped my arms around his head, tangling my fingers into the red strands. I felt the vibration in his chest as he laughed and pulled away.

"Time to get up Rika-chan. We have people to meet."

I sighed as I finally sat up, arching my back again in another stretch. I tossed the blankets off my legs, taking in the sight of Hisoka shirtless. His pajama pants were riding low on his hips, giving me a full view of his beautifully sculpted stomach and chest.

Sometimes life seemed too good to be true…

I mean, here I was standing barely five foot six inches with black hair to my mid-back and ice blue eyes. I would never describe myself as thin or pretty, I kept thinking I was nothing more than an average girl. Until I gained the attention of Hisoka.

Actually, "average" probably only described my looks. My mind is anything but. I mentally shrugged at the thought. My mind was my mind and it kept me entertained, if not _exactly _a model citizen. I just left the killing to Hisoka mostly, since he seemed to enjoy it. I was usual content to just watch.

I finally stood up and ran my hands through my hair, feeling how greasy it was. I definitely wanted my shower.

I pulled the hem of my nightgown straighter, shifting my legs so I was comfortable. Of course I was doing all this to delay my sorely needed shower. Hisoka was in there right now and I knew as soon as I stepped in with him… well, "getting clean" probably wouldn't happen. As appealing as that usually was, I _really_ wanted to wash my hair.

"Hisoka! Get out already!" I shouted through the bathroom door on my way to the walk-in closet. Now, being a girl you would assume I took up most of the closest space right? Nope, that would be Hisoka in this relationship. He practically had carbon copies of every outfit he owned, which if you only counted the "originals" tallied no more than five, maybe seven.

My outfits took up a mere quarter of the space, filling it with jeans, sweaters, and tank tops. My only guilty pleasure was my jewelry. It completely filled a nice sized dresser.

And I was currently standing in front of said dresser with all of its drawers open, trying to decide what I could wear.

A clean pair of blue jeans with frayed bottoms, a red tank top with a black skull on it and my favourite red and white checkered sweater all sat on a chair beside the dresser. I was stuck looking at all the trays, not knowing what I wanted to wear.

There was my black rose necklace, and matching earrings that went with this cute skull anklet Hisoka had bought me.

Or a cute bracelet with a silver bow charm that went with a black ribbon choker that had the same charm.

Then again I had a skull necklace which would probably go perfectly with my shirt…

Hisoka's wet arms wrapped about my waist as he pulled me back against him, nuzzling into my neck. His hair dripped onto my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

"Hmm… Rika-chan still needs to get ready." He whispered into my ear as his hands trailed up my sides.

"Keep your hands to yourself so I can." I gasped out as his hands continued to trail over my upper body.

"But Rika-chan is so…" He lightly bit my skin where my shoulder connected to my neck. "…yummy."

I reached up with my left hand and grasped his hair, pulling his face away from my shoulder and up to my lips for another kiss. I pushed him away afterwards, snatched up my clothes, and closed myself away in the bathroom.

I stripped quickly and turned on the shower, waiting for the room to fill with steam before I stepped in. If there was one thing I loved more than anything else in the world – it was my hot showers.

* * *

A deep sigh came from my lips as I finally forced myself to turn off the shower. The hot water was already gone, and I had spent too much time in here.

As I stepped out I flipped my hair over my head and rubbed a towel roughly against it, hoping to get it as dry as I could. I never took the time to blow dry my hair, it was too thick to do any good anyways. I wrapped the towel around my body before raking a brush roughly through my midnight strands.

I was just gargling once more when the door opened and Hisoka poked his head in, eyes traveling up and down my clothed body with unbridled heat as he licked his lips. I smiled at him before I bent forward over the sink to spit out my mouthful of water.

I wiped my lips and gave myself a once over in the mirror. Half my hair was clipped up, the other was loose down my back. I had already applied my eye liner, just a little to emphasize the blue. I wasn't fond of much makeup, but I wasn't completely averse to using it either. Hisoka, though, was _overly_ fond of using it. That dude almost never went someplace without painting a star and a teardrop on his cheeks, at least he liked to change the colors once in a while.

I glanced at him again as I shrugged on my sweater, noting that today the star was magenta and the teardrop a deep green. He kept his hair completely spiked back, wearing a tightfitting black long sleeved shirt over faded blue jeans.

"Rika~chan… It's time to go~" He leaned his head against the doorframe, still looking at me like he would jump me at any second. If we had been meeting with anyone else, I wouldn't be surprise if he wanted to "run late", but not with _them_.

"Okay, okay, just let me pick out something to wear with this." I made a shooing gesture with my hand, hoping it would encourage him to move out of my path. But this was Hisoka, he never did anything he didn't want to do without getting some kind of payment. In this case, yet another swift kiss on the lips.

"Hmmm… Rika-chan tastes yummy."

"Stop with that already, I ain't a fruitcake you know." I pushed at his shoulder, forcing him to turn and walk as I continued to apply pressure to his back. I forced him into the closet and planted him in the chair that had previously held my clothes. Yes, I was picky about my jewelry. Sue me.

I picked up the skull necklace I had been considering earlier. The chain was long enough that the silver pendant would settle just below the hollow of my throat. I held it up and looked at Hisoka, silently asking his opinion.

This was a daily occurrence.

"_Tsk, tsk_." He held up a finger and waved it right and left to emphasize his point. Hisoka didn't like the necklace, got it. I looked over everything again, wondering what would be a good choice.

Lots of choices… so few options…

"Rika~chan…" I looked up from my thoughts to see Hisoka holding something out to me. I cupped my hands and watched as he dropped a chain into them. I lifted it to my face and saw the intricate pendant. It was something new…

"Pretty…" I breathed, mesmerized by the pattern. It was diamond shaped, silver most likely, and engraved with a trio of falling feathers. Every detail was perfect. Great care had been taken with this. It was beautiful. "It's perfect Hisoka!"

I looked up with a sparkle in my eye to see his knowing smirk.

"Here, put it on me. I want to wear it right now." I handed it back to him as he stood up from the chair. I lifted my hair off my neck as I turned around and let him string the chain around my throat. It was one of those necklaces that looked like it had two chains threading through a single pendant.

My left hand stroked across the feathers as I smiled over my shoulder at Hisoka. Damn this guy was perfect in nearly every way. Could someone like him really exist, and like _me_?

"Okay Rika-chan, time to go~" He wrapped an arm tightly about my waist and tried to usher me from the room.

"H-hold on!" I turned once more to the dresser and snatched up my charm bracelet. I never went anywhere without it. There was a total of seven charms clipped along the links; a club, a spade, a heart, a diamond, a little cat, an _H_ and an _R_. I threaded it around my left wrist and used that hand to link fingers with Hisoka. He pulled me out of the bedroom, through the living room, and outside into the sun.

It was nearly noon, if we didn't hurry we would be late and _they_ were not exactly patient.

I smiled as I climbed into the front seat of Hisoka's precious red Aston Martin. Today was going to be a good day, wasn't it?

* * *

_A/N: Well that's chapter one done. You will meet 'them' in the next chapter, I swear by it. This, sadly, has no real plot because it is DESIGNED that way. I know, this thing was not just random. Okay, it __**sorta**__ is random but for long time readers of me you should have realized that a while back. ^^_

_I changed her name, which was originally "Ria" but I didn't like that after a while and changed it to "Rika"._

_NO! My character does not resemble me appearance-wise (okay, the height thing is true but I'm average height so I couldn't get away from it). *grumble* Why do guys always get the tall gene? *grumble* And I swear if Hisoka was real he __**would**__ find my mind interesting. And that's as far as that explanation is going._

_Leave a review or pm me if you want any questions answered and/or ideas on what could happen with the characters. Love to hear from you all ^^_

_Pstscrpt: I will be updating on the eighteenth of every month, unless I state otherwise. I'm currently in college and my laptop is sometimes bitchy – probably should have named her that instead of __**Bizzaria**__, which also fits -_-_


	2. Sunday Brunch Prt 2

***I do not claim ownership of any characters except for Rika-chan and Razor belongs to Razorblade Mistress because I say so***

* * *

As Hisoka pulled into the parking lot beside our favourite little café, I was scanning the outdoor patio trying to catch a glimpse of wavy ash-blonde or long black hair. I didn't see them at first glance but as the two of us walked towards the patio I glimpsed the two heads in the far corner, kind of tucked away. So typical.

I raised my right arm above my head in a wave and caught the attention of Razor, one of the most awesome-est people I have ever known. She was sitting beside the dark haired man named Illumi, he was the eldest son of the Zoldyck family, which I still couldn't believe. I mean, one of my closest friends was dating a world-renowned assassin and people didn't even realize it!

Then again, people rarely realized _my_ boyfriend was a psychopathic killer. Hmmm… I wonder which one of us pulled the short straw?

"Razor! Illumi!" I called in a friendly greeting as we became a couple of steps closer to them. Illumi turned his head, not a hint of expression breaking through his facial mask, and blinked his large black eyes at our approach. He was sitting with his long legs stretched out from the table and Razor, who was sitting beside him, was much more welcoming; she waved back and called out to Hisoka and I.

Illumi was wearing a typical dark outfit, similar to Hisoka, only his included a navy blue t-shirt and black jeans with his hair loose down his back. I had _no idea_ how he kept it so perfect all the time, but I knew Razor was in love with his hair. I kinda-sorta-secretly was too. Though I much preferred Hisoka's red to Illumi's black.

"God, I hope we didn't make you guys wait long." I said in way of apology as we took our seats. I noted they had already ordered drinks; Illumi had a cup of black coffee in front of him, and Razor had ordered her usual chai tea latte, half already gone.

"It's fine Rika, we only got here a couple minutes ago." Razor smiled as she looked around to find a waiter. We ordered drinks; mine was a hot chocolate with a dopple of whipping cream, and Hisoka wanted his morning coffee mixed with cream. The waiter said he would be right back and would then take our food orders, not that he really _had_ to. The four of us came here every Sunday for brunch, never missing a day. _Rarely_ missing a day.

I sat back against the old-style wrought iron café chair, which matched the intricate patterns of the tables and other chairs. I loved this café. It's been in business since around the forties, and it still had the cozy feel to it of a simpler time. Around the patio was a waist high wrought iron fence, with a gate on the opposite side of where we sat. There was also an entrance to the main building in the middle of the outer wall, with a kitchen entrance just off to the right. In each of the four corners stood a large pot of plants, colorful and lively that changed with the seasons.

Around the outer edge of where we sat was a small grove of trees, nearly all with still-green leaves but a few were already fading into the yellow, orange, red, and brown of autumn. The café was located in a nearly cast-off area of the city, very few people knowing about it nowadays. I propped my chin up with my hand and gazed off into the distance, looking out across the deserted cement tiles and wrought iron tables. We were the only four out here; the weather was brisk, herding all the elderly clients into the building to enjoy their daily coffee and lunches.

When I had first found this little café I had chatted up a few of the older men and discovered that most of the people here had been young kids when it first opened. Their families had come here, and they in turn had taken their own children here. But now, with so many fast food places opening up with cheaper menus, they never brought the grandchildren to continue the tradition.

It was also here that I had first come across the three I now shared the table with. Razor was the first one I had met, when I was fresh out of high school and she was entering her second year of college. That was four years ago now.

Illumi had been the second one for me to meet; Razor had brought him here and I ran into the two of them. That was half way through my first term in college, so only a few months after I had first met her. He never talked much, but I had just assumed he was shy. Then Razor let me in on his "dirty little secret". Yes, that would be him being the famous assassin. How my over-happy friend had managed to meet and date him was still a mystery to me.

Now, Hisoka…

I looked over at him just in time to see a smile spread over his lips and Razor's face go deep red in a blush. Hisoka laughed as she hid her face against Illumi's shoulder, and he in turn wrapped a long, slender arm around her burn-orange sweater-clad shoulders in silent comfort. The dude wasn't much for talking, but at least his actions spoke volumes about his feelings.

… Hisoka had been the last one I had met. To say I met him _here_ probably wasn't accurate; it was more like it was _around_ here that I had first met my jester.

* * *

_**- Three Years Ago - March -**_

_I clutched my jacket tighter at the base of my throat, throwing my hood over my hair to try and keep the rain from running down the back of my neck. It had been a cloudy day, but I hadn't considered anything more than a light, short rain. As the evening had progressed though, the clouds had gotten darker and thicker and I had finally decided to start my walk home from the café when the clouds split apart and pelted the earth in near torrents._

_I leaned my body into the wind, keeping my head low and my eyes closed. There was no way I could make it home in this, I should have just stayed at the café or asked someone there for a lift home, not that any of them should be driving in this._

_I lifted my head and squinted against the water, trying to find a shelter of some type. My eyes roved right and left until I saw a small break in the walls that surrounded me. I sprinted into the narrow alleyway and leaned against the bricks in relief. It wasn't so bad here; nice enough that I could pull my hood down and catch a breath of air instead of inhaling water._

_I glanced down the alley to see a couple dumpsters filled with black trash bags, and not much else. My head rested back against the wall and I closed my eyes. I wanted the rain to let up soon so I could get home. I did not want to spend my whole night here. I had class tomorrow, though thankfully it was a late morning class._

_Above the noise of the pelting rain I heard something that had me opening my eyes. It sounded like something had smacked against the wall, just outside of the alleyway. But who? Or what?_

_I stepped farther back into the alley, stepping between the dumpsters and farther into the dark shadows. I raised my hand to cover the lower half of my face, trying my best to block out the smell of rotting garbage. If the noise was just my imagination, I was going to puke. _

_My eyes tracked across the narrow entrance, my heart pounded in my chest and my breathing became shallow and erratic. I waited, ready to duck at the lightest of unnatural sounds. But nothing came. It had to have been my imagination._

_I slowly exhaled… Something grabbed my throat, cutting off my air so abruptly my mouth gaped open and a cloth-like something was forced into it. I gagged, trying to spit it out but that something about my throat was wrapping even tighter. It was warm to the touch… skin… was I being choked by someone…? Why…?_

_My brain was lacking oxygen, and the already dark alley was swimming in deeper shadows. My eyes couldn't retain focus on any one thing. I felt my body stop struggling. My limbs were just too heavy to move._

_I couldn't scream… I couldn't move… I was alone in an alley… My eyes were slowly closing, but I needed to_ _**do something**_. _I tried to lift my hand, it merely twitched. I tried harder. I got slightly better results. The entire time my assailant had been quiet, then I realized there was a loud drone in my ears that blocked out everything. Even the pounding of rain on the roofs above our heads was inaudible._

_I focused on that. I focused on the drone, and tried to remember every move I knew of self-defence in my grey-fogged mind. There was only one chance… and it was slipping away the longer I did nothing._

_I wanted to breathe. I needed oxygen. The hands were still squeezing my windpipe, never relenting. One chance. Nothing more. Using all the will I possessed, I rammed my left elbow back into his ribs. I felt as the jab connected. _

_He didn't release me. _

_His grip never loosened. _

_**It had been too weak. **_

"_Hmmm~" _

_The droning in my ears was dying down… I felt the world tilting even behind my closed eyes… I was still struggling to breathe through my closed airway… I hissed in a breath, a thin little breath of air through my nose. Another. I could fill my lungs a little. My breathing was swift and shallow._

_I found myself on my hands and knees, coughing up the gag, and choking down lungful's of air. The black in front of my eyes cleared to where I could see the cobblestones, feel them beneath my hands. My arms were shaking to the point where I nearly collapsed under my own weight._

_I raised my head and saw through my bangs a pair of white pants tucked into black boots. My eyes continued to trail up the body in front of me, noticing the lean build, the tight fitting black top with suit symbols on the chest. _

_He was standing, one hand resting on the jut of his hip, not even looking at me. His attention seemed to be riveted to whatever was behind me, where my attacker was. But my attention was solely on__**him**_. _On the fact that he was standing there, like it was his every right. On his red hair that was wet from the rain. The smirk on his face. The look in his unusually yellow colored eyes._

_**Who was he?**_

_He looked down at me, the smirk never leaving his face. The hand not on his hip was held out to me, and without thinking I placed mine in his and felt my whole body being pulled up. He was strong. _

_I stood unsteadily on my feet, unbalanced from a sudden feeling of vertigo. One of my hands went to my temple, pushing against my skull in the hopes of fighting it off. A sound, almost like a chuckle, came to my ears and I looked up at the man to see his shoulders shaking._

_Was he laughing at me? _

_I opened my mouth, maybe to say something, when another wave of vertigo hit and my stomach contracted. I covered my mouth with one hand, closed my eyes and fought down the urge to puke. After a moment the feeling passed and I looked up again at the man in front of me. His attention was once more on something over my shoulder._

_I half turned, looking into the shadows to see what he saw. At first there was nothing I could distinguish, simply the overflowing bags of trash and the wet ground from the seeping eaves troughs. But I continued to stare, trying to find what could hold his attention so fixedly._

_Then I noticed the body. He was slumped amongst the trash, head angled like he was sleeping. His black hair dripping onto his shirt, spreading a dark stain. His clothing was ragged and dirty, had probably been even before he started choking me._

_I noticed the sprawled legs, one twisted at an unusual angle. His body looked as though he had been slammed into the wall and left to slump there._

_My gaze wandered back to the red haired mystery beside me. Had he done that? My eyes trailed after him as he took slow paces toward the body. My attacker never stirred, not even as the other man crouched in front of him and his hand hovered over his chest. His fingers closed over something slender and I saw his arm tense just before he was going to pull on it._

"_Wait!" I called, finding my voice and raising my hand to him in a futile action. His back was turned towards me, but he pivoted his head a quarter of the way to pin me with one eye._

_I rushed forward, getting a closer look at the body. It was beautiful._

_Only close up did I see what was protruding from his chest, a pair of normal playing cards. And on his head, what I had thought was water, was actually blood dripping from a gash hidden in his hairline._

_I placed a hand on my 'savior's' still outstretched one and pulled it back, wanting to fully see what he had done to my attacker. There was almost no blood. Yet the cards had gone so deep I could only tell which ones they were by the small numbers in the corners._

_**The seven of clubs.**_

_**The nine of spades.**_

_My hand trembled as I laid it on the body's neck, already assuming. There was no pulse. He was dead. But his body…_

_He was killed so_ _**beautifully**__._

"_I wish I could draw this…" I breathed, regretting that I had forgotten my sketchbook in my room. To have such a perfect model and no way to capture it… It was almost heart wrenching for me._

"_Hmm? You're an artist?" The man's question brought me out of my trance. I had been trying to commit the lines of the body to memory, in hopes I could recreate the picture later tonight._

_My face blushed red as I met his gaze. I pulled my hand back into my body and stood up, stepping back and away from him. He too stood up, leaving the cards in the corpse's chest, forgotten._

"_Are you~?" He asked again, in a tone between hypnotic and singsong. I found myself rubbing the sleeve of my jacket, hearing as the rain softened. Even the atmosphere seemed to dim as I considered what to say._

_My first instinct was to run from the man who had just murdered another human. But my stronger instinct told me to stay._

_Whatever my decision, my life was about to change._

* * *

"Here you are! Please enjoy your breakfast and I will be back later to check on you." The waitress gave a smile before hurrying back into the warmth of the café. Their uniforms were more designed for summer than any other season; a white t-shirt, with the café's name on the back, worn with either a black skirt or shorts.

An old style café with a modern uniform, the thought gave me a small spark of joy.

"Rika~chan~" Hisoka called as he held out a bite of egg on a fork for me. I obligingly opened my mouth and let him feed me. I slid my eyes aside and saw Illumi had imitated the gesture, holding out a grape for Razor to eat.

Sunday's were always perfect.

* * *

_A/N: Well that's C2 done. I thought it turned out __**fabulously**__! But I want opinions; does Rika seem like someone Hisoka would take an interest in?_

_Or am I making him OOC? Maybe Rika-chan __**is**__ turning Mary-Sue?_

_And, okay yeah, I realize making Illumi copy one of Hisoka's gestures is a little farfetched but admit it! It was a really sweet mental image!_

_Special thanks to: __**Razorblade Mistress**__, __**reeyachan**__, __**Bushwah**__, __**Pretty gal**__, __**PANDASLOVERICE**__, and __**xxCinnamorollxx**__ who reviewed the first chapter!_

_I'm going to disappear now for a while. 'Til next month all! *waves happily* _


	3. Sunday Brunch Prt 3

_A/N: You don't want to know how busy my life is going to be for the next couple weeks, so I will be updating now before I forget. Please wish me luck on my school projects and enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

***I do not claim ownership of any characters except for Rika-chan and Razor belongs to Razorblade Mistress because I say so***

* * *

I popped the last corner piece of my generously buttered toast into my mouth and wiped my hands on a napkin, savouring the taste. I don't know how they did it but this café knew quality, and they served it up in quantity.

I pushed my empty plate forward and leaned both elbows on the wrought iron table, ignoring the rules of proper etiquette now that all the food was gone. My chin rested gently on my laced fingers and I just stared off into my own little world. I wasn't focusing on anything specific, just being a little spectator as my three friends talked. There was a history between them that I didn't have, but it didn't make me jealous.

Yes, Illumi and Hisoka seem to have known each other the longest, but they didn't act like old friends would. There was no sense of ease between them. I had watched them, with my hooded gaze, and saw how stiff Illumi was around my jester. Hisoka… well Hisoka wasn't really "stiff" around anyone…

A small laugh echoed in my throat as I thought that, earning the jester's full attention. He threw an arm across the back of my chair and leaned in close to my ear, whispering even though the other two were perfectly capable of hearing every word.

"Rika~chan… Are you thinking naughty thoughts again? Hmmm~" He was so close that when his tongue snaked out to lick his lips the tip of it brushed against my ear, turning my face a soft shade of pink. He had done that on purpose, and even after nearly three years of being with him I still couldn't come up with a response that wouldn't make him just laugh and do it again.

So I did what I always did, I pushed his face away with my palm and snuggled against his side. My arms wrapped loosely around his waist as he repositioned his arm to settle on my back, almost like he was trying to keep me next to him. I closed my eyes briefly and knew there was a big smile on my face. My ear was pressed against Hisoka's chest and I could hear every heartbeat, knowing he was happy too.

The sound of a camera shutter, followed by a flash, opened my eyes and Razor was sitting across from us holding up her phone. Pretending to be innocent. But she wasn't. Instead of saying something though I just stuck out my tongue and waited for her to take another picture.

"Awe, Rika you look so adorable like that!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure I get those okay? They'll look great up on the wall." I slowly sat up and cracked my neck, Hisoka's hand never straying from the center of my shoulder blades. I smiled aside at him and looked to Razor, noting the happy smile on her diamond shaped face. "Maybe I should get pictures of you and Illu-kun together?"

She snorted.

"You try convincing him of that. Do you _know_ how much a picture of him is worth?" Razor waved her hand towards Illumi, who was saying nothing as per usual. I shrugged the comment away.

"It's not like you or I would sell it." I turned to Illumi, leaning forward on my elbows once more. "Or… is it because Illu-kun takes a bad picture?" That earned a swat from Razor, but I pulled my head back before she could hit me.

"Rika!"

"But I'm curious~" I whined, mimicking Hisoka's tone the slightest degree. He and Razor joined in my laughter and Illumi just blinked. If I could see into his mind at that moment, he was probably rolling his eyes.

"Hmmm~ You know, holding him down wouldn't be a bad idea Rika~chan…" Hisoka licked his lips and pinned Illumi with a superior smirk. My jester was just crazy enough to actually _try_ something like holding down a Zoldyck… which made me all the more concerned about why I had fallen in love with him in the first place.

I absently reached beside my empty plate and picked up my cell phone, glancing at the time.

"Shit, Hisoka we have to go or we'll be late." I pushed the chair back in my haste to stand up, flicking my dark hair back over my shoulder with one hand.

"Aw~ Rika-chan, already?" He drawled, standing up beside me and laying one hand on my hip.

"Yes, now _let's go_!" I nearly started dragging him along before I remembered about the other two. I turned back to wave briefly. "Sorry to run like this! I'll see you later Razor! Bye Illu-kun!"

Razor lifted her hand in a half wave, her face reflecting her confusion as we left. It wasn't like me to simply run off like this, dragging Hisoka with me, so soon after eating. In fact, it was at Illumi's insistence that he and Razor left first most days. He wasn't a "people person".

I slammed the door to Hisoka's car and didn't bother with the seatbelt as he spun around so fast most people would already be screaming. I was so used to his behavior that I barely noticed most things that were against the social norm; him speeding was just another one of those things.

* * *

"Sorry to make you leave like that, but I _really _didn't want to miss this." I apologized as Hisoka once more parked his car. All I got was a chuckle as he opened my door and offered a hand to help me up. I smiled at the old world chivalry. It was a side he rarely showed outside of high class events, because he knew how I strived to be at least somewhat independent of him. I was not one of those girls who got a boyfriend and insisted on clinging to him and being treated like a princess.

"You so rarely insist on anything that I am happy to indulge my Rika-chan from time to time." He pulled my arm with just enough force to knock me off balance, forcing me to trip against his chest so he could hold me close and nuzzle into my neck. My hands pushed against him, knowing this was not the place for something like that. That, and if I didn't stop him he would convince me to simply skip the event and take me back home.

"Enough, I want to see it. Come on!" I grabbed his arm and walked forward, him trailing a step behind as I wound my way through the outside crowd. I stopped when we reached the front of the crowd and I stood up on my tippy toes. But all I saw was the same thing as everyone else: black sheets covering the trio of new artworks in the middle of the park.

I sucked in a breath of anticipation. I was so glad we hadn't missed this! I had told Hisoka about the unveiling a month ago, and how I wanted to see it so badly.

The city had hosted a contest for new ideas that could be created and erected in the park, something that would draw more people to come here. They had never announced the winners, so all the contestants, as well as curious walkers-by, were all gathered here. And there were a lot more than I had thought. I was beginning to worry, would my piece make it into the top three? I hoped so. I had spent hours perfecting my drawings.

The tension in my shoulders grew and I absently reached up to massage the back of my neck. Hisoka, who was standing behind me, swatted my hand away and took over, digging his knuckles deep to unknot my muscles.

I let him get most of the knots out before I stepped from his hands and looked back at him, smiling a little. He returned the smile with one of his own and I felt the rest of my anxiety fall away. He took the step closer and brought his hands to clasp in front of me, pulling me back to lean against his chest and he held his hands to my lower abdomen, and his chin rested atop my head. I closed my eyes and just stood like that until a murmur went through the crowd.

A man from the park committee was standing in front of the still-covered statues. He seemed like the typical man you would find in a garden; a nice button down shirt with the sleeves rolled three-quarters of the way up, jeans with blown out knees and a pair of gardening gloves shoved into the front pocket, a pair of heavy duty work boots, with a five o'clock shadow on his chin. He cleared his throat a time or two before speaking into the cordless microphone he held in his hand.

"Thank you all for coming to see the unveiling of the new statues I, and the rest of the committee, are proud to say were the most inspiring." He began as another pair of males, dressed similarly to him, walked out and stood beside the other coverings. I held my breath.

"I won't drag this out because I'm sure most of you would rather look at the statues then listen to an old man yammer on about them." His statement sent a ripple of amusement through the crowd interspersed with some applause. Once we had all settled down again he stepped back so he was beside the most forward statue and the other two grabbed their respective sheet coverings.

"On the count of three. One. Two." All three men began to pull and slowly the black covers were peeled away to reveal the new stone statues.

I let out my breath in one swift expulsion of air. The rest of the crowd erupted into their own cheers and applause, but my eyes were on the newly displayed works of stone.

The most forward one looked similar to what would have been very common in the Ancient Greek era. She was a beautifully sculpted woman wearing a long, flowing tunic with clasps on each shoulder. Her hair was in soft waves around her delicate looking shoulders. She was posed, like she was sitting on a rock, with one leg tucked in and the other out, bent at the knee. Her arms were raised and if she had been painted I would have sworn she was actually about to play her lyre.

The one behind her and off to the left was a sculpted man who seemed to be from feudal era Japan. He was a samurai standing very proud. On his hip were two sword sheaths, and he was in full armor. The detail was more than I could have possibly imagined. So much work had been crafted into him; even the self-fulfilling look on his face had me wondering if he knew just what importance he held.

The third statue was the farthest from where we stood, but it was the one which captured my attention. It was _mine_. It was my drawing come to three-dimensional inanimate life. And he was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. My model had been Geppetto, the toymaker from the age-old fairy-tale _Pinocchio_. He was sitting hunched over in a simple wooden chair, crafting the last details onto his most dearly beloved puppet. Every line was mere perfection on the statue, even down to showing the individual strands of hair and whorls in the wooden chair.

Hisoka's breath in my ear as he whispered congratulations was nearly lost on me as I raised my hands to cover my nose and mouth. Tears sprang to the corners of my eyes as I traced every outline of my larger-than-life drawing-turned-statue.

I blinked numerous times, swiping at the overflowing liquid.

"Rika~chan~" I turned my head to the side, looking at Hisoka's proud face before he kissed me. His hand came up to the nape of my neck and deepened the kiss until we were both breathless. As he pulled away, a look of complete satisfaction and pride on his face, he used his thumb to wipe the last of my tears away.

I looked back to the man from the committee as the crowd started to quiet.

"I just wanted to thank all of those who submitted entries, we had so many tough decisions, but like with all contests, there were some who really stood out. _Terpsichore the Muse _was submitted by Meghan K. The samurai, _Miyamoto Musashi,_ was a submission by Brandon Bolten. And the iconic _Mister Geppetto_, was a wonderfully drawn picture by Rika. Thank you all again, and I hope these statues stand for many years to come."

Another round of applause went up as the men began to gather up the covers and walk away, chatting amongst themselves. Hisoka remained right behind me, arms enfolding my body as I just stared at the statue I had inspired. The crowd itself slowly began to disperse, some walking closer to look at the new stone works and others gathering around a couple of other spectators who were overjoyed.

The other woman who had won was standing a few dozen feet away, surrounded by a smattering of people who were grinning from ear to ear and patting her back, or her head. One man leaned in and kissed her forehead before wrapping her in a huge bear hug. As she was set back on her feet she threw her head back and laughed, feeling more accomplished than ever before in her life.

The only boy who had been mentioned was on the other side of the crowd, standing rock solid and shell shocked. He hadn't moved since the unveiling of the statues, not until one of his classmates came up behind him and hooked his neck to mess up his hair. Once he was released he chased after his classmate, wanting to give him some payback. His parents stood proudly together, watching as their son looked so happy. It was quite an accomplishment for a sixteen year old.

Hisoka took one of my hands from my face and pulled me forward, but I kept the other over my lips. I still could not believe my eyes, even as I trailed my hand across the metal plaque on the base of the statue, inscribed with a simple message:

_Third place winner of the Lakeview Park Contest_

_Mister Geppetto_

_Design by Rika_

"…wow." I breathed, trailing my eyes higher on the statue and taking in the carved features. To think, something I had drawn was to remain immortalized in stone. On display in one of my favorite parks… Forever. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked up into Hisoka's yellow-ish eyes. "Thank you."

He had been the one to encourage me to enter. I had always had a love of drawing, a fascination with the weird and dark. But never did I think I could enter a contest. Never before did I think I could win something like _this_. Without him, I probably never would have tried my hand. I would have remained introverted about my work, keeping it for my eyes only.

"Hmm~ You're welcome Rika~chan." He brushed back some of my hair and I gave him yet another smile, holding his hand against my cheek.

* * *

I collapsed back against the covers of our bed and sighed in relief, my arms flopped above my head and my legs were still hanging over the edge of the mattress. We had spent the rest of the afternoon walking through that park and I was now exhausted.

I felt as the mattress sunk next to me and Hisoka's upper body came into view. He was half kneeling on the bed, looming over me with his usual smug look. He leaned forward onto the hand above my right shoulder and his face hovered just above mine, our noses hardly a hair's width apart.

I brought my arms down and around his neck, trying to pull him just that slim bit closer. Though I tried with all the strength I could, Hisoka would not budge. He was inhumanly strong and stubborn as a demon hell-bent on escaping, well, Hell.

I felt as his breath washed over my face as he chuckled, my arms collapsing back above my head. I shut my eyes and just relaxed like that. Warm, safe, and happy as a clam.

* * *

_A/N: Well this ends the __**Sunday Brunch **__arc. Next month we will be the beginning of a new arc, and yes it will be Christmas themed. Also the update rate will increase to once a week in December, since I don't want to keep updating about a Christmas story until like June. The updates will be on Wednesdays (Dec. 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th) so look forward to that ^^_

_I did debate making it a New Year's Party just so I could make Razor and Illu drunk... and that gave me__ a __**lot**__ of evil ideas that I think could have been (a) funny and (b) make Razor wanna kill me. _

_I am still open to suggestions from viewers on what you want to see in the coming arcs, so leave it as a review or PM me. This story isn't going any where anytime soon, I hope ^^_

___Special thanks to: _**Razorblade Mistress**, **xxCinnamorollxx**,___** koryandrs**, and** Bushwah**, who reviewed the second chapter!_

_Thanks for reading/reviewing and I hope you come back for the second arc of **Hisoka and I**!_


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